Learning College Manual

Mission and Philosophy

Our Learning College Philosophy

The adoption of the learning college concept in 1996 is the most significant strategic direction taken by the college in recent years. This shift requires the college to emphasize outcomes based assessment as central to operations throughout the institution. The decision to make this paradigm shift did not happen overnight, nor was it due to the insight of a single individual. Events leading to this decision included broad-based involvement in the PEW Round Table discussion, a presentation and challenge by Dr. James Anderson to become a “cutting edge institution,” and a response to a SACS reaffirmation study.

The college is an institution committed to the journey charted by the concept of the Learning-Centered College. The litmus test for every action taken by the college is in the question: Are we doing the best that can be done to help students learn? This challenge determines our direction and is reflected in the development and evolution of our Team for the Advancement of a Learning College (TALC). TALC members serve as the leadership team for a cluster of taskforces that touch all instructional and administrative support areas of the college.